El Mazatlán is the unexpected gem on our tour of old Route 66 - great food and drinks, huge portions and low prices - I'd recommend anytime

Best Mexican restaurant in the area. Great atmosphere and staff is great! Portions are good size and they're always accurate and food comes out very quickly! read more

This is my partners favorite place to eat in our little hometown! We even order out sometimes. They definitely have a cool atmosphere with kind staff and the food is always reliably delicious. read more

The best Mexican restaurant in Lincoln. Food is great Margaritas are good Service is best out of the Mexican restaurants in town read more

Given the on-line rave reviews of the El Mazatlan Mexican Restaurant, I was expecting a great dining experience. Overall I was somewhat disappointed. We arrived at 6PM on a Saturday. The place was bustling. Even so, we were quickly seated and within a couple of minutes a server arrived with complimentary salsa and chips and took our drink order (soft drinks $1.50 each). For the entire time we were there the staff was attentive and helpful. The El Mazatlan's menu is substantial and after some contemplation, we each opted for the single serving of fajitas. She chose beef and I opted for chicken ($11.25 each). Fajita meals come with re-fried beans, Mexican rice, pic-de-gallo and three tortillas (We passed on the sour cream and the guacamole). The chips were warm and not at all greasy. Very tasty. The salsa on the other hand, was a little off putting. I am used to salsa that is deep red with a good thick body. Good salsa (in my opinion) also needs to have chunks of onion and discernible bits of cilantro. This salsa was barely pinkish, and it had a thin texture like it had been pureed to a soup consistency. While it tasted freshly made, it lacked much of the zip that is normally associated with salsa. The fajita meat was well seasoned and tasty. Oddly, the chicken meat was diced into small chuncks rather than the usual strips. The fajita meal serving size was more than adequate and a leftover container was needed. I wanted to give this establishment a higher rating but in my opinion, it was only somewhat above average. Yes, I would eat here again. Would I drive 15 miles out of my way to eat here again? Probably not. It just didn't "knock my socks off". read more

Love this place! I go about once a week and the service is always great!!! The employees are always very friendly and welcoming. They create a fun and family friendly environment. They take time to get to know their customers and provide great service. Highly recommend!!! read more

Excellent food and quick, exceptional service. High quality ingredients and great presentation. Absolutely the best t-bone I've ever had from a Mexican restaurant. Unique and savory salsa with homemade chips. Excellent salads and steamed veggies. read more

Lincoln is blessed to have great choices in Mexican food. Mazatlan is likely the most ornate of them and has a cozy atmosphere. The food from the chips to the desert is incredible and for those who drink they have a bar. In the summer there is an outdoor area. Staff including the owner are very courteous and make sure you get what you want. read more

El Mazatlan - Wall decor - Mexican Near Me - Lincoln, Illinois

Really GOOD food! We go here quite often. Only issue we had was a while back when our waiter was really rude and told our then 10 yr old that we forgot to tip. In which I was trying to get 5 kids out the door and thought my Husband had tipped. But other than that, we have had a lot of great experiences here to make up for that one time. read more

It's not bad. It's not great. It's average. It beats eating fast food if you are traveling. I'd give it a solid "meh". You have to keep in mind that you're in the middle of nowhere with few options for sit-down dining. read more

Great mexican fare ,service was awesome,fast . I had the fajitas granda ,sooo good ,My date had the granda burrito she was pleased with her selection. Order a large magurita, you will not be disappointed. read more

Been here several times but last week it was horrible. Everything was cold and flavorless and came out way too fast for made to order food. Also when they couldn't tell my dining companion, who eats a gluten free diet, whether the enchiladas were flour or corn, I figured that we would probably not eat there again. This town has so few food options anyway, it was disappointing. read more

My friend and I stopped by last Friday in the heat of the Art & Balloon Festival in Lincoln. We've eaten at the other Mexican restaurants in town and, since this was new, thought we'd give it a try. Miguel was our waiter and he knew the menu well. I ended up with a chile relleno (one of my favorite dishes) and I wasn't disappointed. The poblano pepper was huge and very fresh. It was just the right mixture of sweet and hot. The cheese was piping hot and not overly salty as some I've had. If I had one complaint, it was the booth. We were seated at the booth first. I'm a big guy and I just couldn't fit in the booth. The table was fine, but perhaps there could be some more accommodating booths? read more

This place is literally Mexican heaven. I go there at least once a week and all of their food is extremely fresh and delectable. This place literally has everything you could ever want at a Mexican restaurant. I feel honored that I am able to dine at a place like this. The service here is unlike no other restaurant in town. They have the friendliest group of people working for them and the owner, Martin, is very outgoing and always has the warmest smile on his face. I highly recommend that you check dis place out. You will be blown away by El Mazaltan. It's top notch in my book. I'd give it 7 stars if I could. read more

Best place to eat in Lincoln. A very solid Mexican restaurant. Margaritas are real good. Don't taste like a bottled mix. A lot options on the menu. read more

When you walk in it looks nice but when you get in it's a cramped atmosphere and the food was pretty bad too!!!!first time I went there and it will be the last. read more

Great food, our drinks were refilled faster than any other place I've been to. Staff was very friendly. Prices were very reasonable, decor was very pretty. read more

I was traveling for work and staying at the Hampton. I wanted an alternative to fast food. Found this place, it wasn't easy but worth the effort. I ordered a beef burrito, chicken enchilada, rice and beans. Also had to get a margarita. All were very good. My order came quickly and the staff was great. There are no signs for this place on the main road but it's worth tracking it down. Would definitely recommend this for anyone looking for a good meal. Also, noticed a lot of locals, always a good sign. read more

It's my first time here. The food is good and the atmosphere is appealing. Wait staff is attentive. It's in an are where I don't usually go but decided to give it a try. I'll be back! read more

I just love this place. It's right off of i-55. We've stopped in several times as we are traveling back and forth to central and southern Illinois. Great service. Everything I've had on the menu is very good. I love the chicken chimichangas. The cheese dip is so good. Will be back! read more

The food is amazing and has never disappointed!The staff is nothing but friendly everytime we are rherezCant beat any better customer service! read more

A little bit of authentic "Tex-Mex" in the mid west. A nice casual place that uses appropriate Spanish, so you know they are on the level or well practiced. Either way it makes a good place to get the typical Tex-Mex fare. read more

Love this place!! Always friendly service, food is hot and fresh, quality is awesome, mixed drinks are exactly how they should be made and we always leave with left overs!! read more

Gets a 5 star for food. Waiter didn't seem to have time to be bothered so that gets a 2 star as I saw others waiters that were MUCH MORE attentive and wish we would have had another waiter. I tip VERY WELL and would have been over a 30% tip had service been better but only got about 12%. Had the Chipotle Steak Fajitas. Very good. You definitely get your moneys worth of steak compared to any other place in Lincoln or Springfield. Most places load up on onions and peppers so it looks like you have a lot but read more

Best Mexican style restaurant in Lincoln. Everyone is super friendly and the food is my favorite food in town. I honestly have a hard time going anywhere else. read more

This place rocks. Lots of personal service and the food and margaritas are great. Had the shrimp chimi and thankful I split it with my sister. Their portions are large so consider that when ordering. We will eat here again if we ever pass through Lincoln, IL. read more

Stopped for lunch on way to Illinois State. Very nice decor. Food was good and fast!

Traveling and stopped in Lincoln to stay overnight. Came here for our evening meal. Great food and great service at a reasonable price!!

Have been to this place twice, ,,,, very good food, reminds me of the old days way down south when I first learned to love Mexican food, the relleno is right , fresh beer from clean taps, if you order "well done" fajitas , you get well done , this place is a cut above and you can tell by the crowd they usually have which makes the consistency even more impressive, I will be going back for sure. read more

I was just there and have been there multiple times before. Just like before it was great. I ordered the Chef's special and so did most at my table. I thought it was really good, it is made of grilled chicken, caso cheese, and Mexican rice. It is especially good if you like caso as it had a lot on it. Overall everyone thought it was great, would go again and order the same thing. read more

Great place to stop just off I-55. Awesome chips and salsa and veggie fajitas were huge & well-prepared. Staff was attentive and friendly. Will definitely stop here again on our next trip through town! read more

Food is excellent!! Casual atmosphere. I've tried half a dozen different dishes. So far, I've not bee disappointed.

The best Mexican Restaurant in town. I lived in Tucson Arizona for 10 years and this is spot on. The food is fabulous and staff wants to get it right. We had a concern and voiced it. The staff bent over backwards to accommodate us and now we won't go anywhere else. Thank you for coming to Lincoln IL. We needed you!! read more

After reading the reviews for this restaurant I must say that the previous reviewers must be employed by this establishment or possibly family or friends of the owners. This was without a doubt the worst dinner my husband and I have had at a Mexican restaurant- or any restaurant for that matter. Before I go into details regarding the food... let me say a few positive things: The staff at this restaurant was very nice and friendly. It is a nice big restaurant with nice festive decor. Unfortunately that's where the good experience ends... First, the measly amount of cheese dip we were served was cold. When our drinks arrived I tasted the worst peach margarita I've ever had. I still had hope for our entrees... until they arrived. The grilled chicken fajita quesadilla was quite the mystery when it arrived. It looked nothing like a quesadilla. It was simply a large grease soaked flour tortilla folded in half and filled with chicken, green peppers, onions, mushrooms and a boiling cesspool of repugnant brown grease. I picked out and hung to dry some of my grease soaked chicken in order to satisfy my growing hunger but alas this meal never satisfied and left me feeling sick to my stomach due to the inordinate amount of grease used in cooking the meal. My husband ordered his steak rare. Let's forget the fact that he had to drown out the cow's last muffled "mooing" sounds as he choked down the tough, chewy, cartilage and ligament filled piece of cow meat (I just can't in good conscience call it steak). In between bites of stringy, cold and inexplicably chewy bites my husband would have a french fry. You read it right, a french fry... at a Mexican restaurant. Clearly this restaurant feels that a "steak" is best served with rice, a chimichanga and french fries. That makes sense right? Overall our experience literally left us sick. The thought that we had to pay for this torture leaves an everlasting feeling of queasiness in my stomach. To those who believe this to be too harsh: please go experience it for yourself. Just bear in mind that I tried to save you a miserable dining experience. Your stomach will thank me. read more